Attraction
by Lightning Bee
Summary: Luke wonders why everyone seems to be attracted to Percy Jackson. Surprisingly not slash. Spoliers for at least the last 2 books. Read and review please.


**Usual Disclaimers Apply**

**A/N: So I'm not overly pleased with this one, but I've been out of action for quite some time now so I guess it's understandable. Weirdly, this isn't actually slash. In fact, I'm not quite sure what it is. Anyway, enjoy!**

Luke sighed and closed the book he had been trying to read with a sharp snap. Even words written in Ancient Greek refused to stay on the page for him nowadays. Not that he particularly cared about being able to read. He just needed a distraction from his own irksome thoughts. Books had merely been the latest in a long list of failed attempts to shut off his restless mind. Clearly neither the Gods nor Kronos felt he deserved such an easy escape from his musings. And so, Luke gave up and returned to his thoughts. The familiar and irritating subject he had been trying to avoid immediately arose again.

Perseus Jackson.

The Son of Poseidon and child of the prophecy (at least according to Lord Kronos)

Luke had felt a strong attraction to the boy since the son of Poseidon had first arrived at Camp Half-Blood. He disliked him, of course – it was a requirement for his betrayal, but he was drawn to Percy at the same time. Caught in the in-between stages of hate and mutual respect. Most importantly, he didn't want to hurt the other boy. The mere thought of it made him feel uneasy, even now when they were clearly leaders of the opposing teams. Enemies 'til the last. At first he had thought it was a crush. A last ditch attempt of Aphrodite to soften his hardened heart. Now, he knew that it wasn't. He felt no love or even lust for Percy. Just attraction. Pure and simple. And it wasn't just him who felt it. He could tell.

Annabeth Chase was also a victim of the attraction. Although it was obvious that her attraction to Percy had evolved into a major crush. Luke often wondered why they hadn't got together already. Was Percy really so blind? Or did he just not want that kind of relationship with the girl? Then Luke thought of when Annabeth used to look at _him _like that and decided that it was none of his business. Nevertheless, Annabeth was the second of Percy's prisoners, because that's what they were. Prisoners of whatever drew them to the raven haired son of Poseidon.

A more interesting case of Percy's captivating powers came in the form of Rachel Elizabeth Dare. She was pure human and could see through the mist so Luke wondered if she could see the attraction that Percy caused in others. Well he had, at first. Rachel certainly seemed to suffer from it. Annabeth despised her for being engrossed with Percy, which showed that the allure of the son of the sea god obviously could cause hate between other people. However, that was not what made Rachel so interesting. What made her so fascinating was that she could see the captivation in others but not in herself. Nor did she question why she felt so strongly for Percy after only about a week of knowing him. Whenever Luke saw Annabeth, Rachel and Percy together, usually when he was tracking them for his Lord, he could see the confusion Rachel went through when Annabeth showed signs of her attraction to Percy. Her clear sight was clouded by her draw to the son of Poseidon. It was strange but comforting to Luke, knowing that even the most insightful could not see it when he could.

Even Chiron seemed to just accept the boy as if he were his son. Worrying about him, talking to him and protecting him whenever he could. Luke wondered if anyone was immune to him. Most of the Gods seemed to love Percy, excluding Ares and Hades, but Hades hated most of the demigods, and Ares had always been a hot-headed idiot. So Percy's attraction did not reach everyone, he realised, just most people.

However, it hadn't taken Luke very long to disprove this idea about Percy's captivating power because he soon realise that Percy attracted something else. Trouble. If his draw wasn't creating a positive relationship, it was causing hatred and anger. Ares was a prime example of this, as was Lord Kronos. Luke still didn't understand it though, and doubted he ever would. It was frustrating and annoying and he didn't want to think about it anymore.

With another sigh Luke reopened his book. Distraction. He really needed a distraction.

_**1 year later…**_

Luke felt himself resurface at Annabeth's words about family and trust and fought for domination of his own body. Kronos had been controlling it for too long. It felt weak and broken, no…_he_ felt weak and broken. His body was him after all. He fell back gasping and realised exactly where he was, who was there and what had brought him back in control. Annabeth…but more importantly, Percy Jackson. The familiar and, for once, welcome attraction flared immediately and it strengthened him, rather than weakened him for the first time ever. Luke knew what he had to do now. Percy was not the hero of the prophecy, not really. He was. Luke had to die, and by his own hand. No one else could do it or Kronos would take control and defend himself. No one else knew the location of his Achilles spot either. Luke closed his eyes for a moment and willed himself to be brave. Then, opening them again, he pleaded.

Luke could tell Percy didn't trust him and, when he handed Luke Annabeth's knife, the older demigod knew that the son of Poseidon expected him to kill him there and then. Luke felt bile rise up the back of his throat at the thought. He couldn't kill Percy even if he wanted to. The attraction stopped him. It always had. "_I can kill him. Let me kill him"_ Kronos' voice whispered at the back of his mind. Luke forced Kronos as far away from the control of his body as he could quickly. He wanted Percy to trust him, at least for one minute before he died and that meant holding Kronos back properly. So without taking his eyes off the younger boy, he stabbed himself.

Forgive me, he pleaded wordlessly as the pain tore through his body and forcing him to scream out loud, incapable of words until it lessened. When he finally did he choked out his last requests, voice rasping and cracking with each word. Kronos had left his body when it was stabbed, through fear of death, leaving Luke alone. Yet, he wasn't alone. Annabeth, Grover and Percy were there.

Luke looked up at them, broken and bleeding on the floor and tried to smile. He couldn't. His vision was darkening now and he was afraid, so terribly afraid. Annabeth and Grover suddenly moved out of sight and Luke winced, taking one last look at Percy. The last person he would ever see while alive. Then he realised (the last thing he would ever realise) with a painful jolt.

The attraction was not for Percy himself. It never had been. His attraction had been to what Percy represented. Life. Percy represented life. Life, love and loyalty. Everything Kronos had hated but wanted at the same time. Everything Luke could have had if he had just waited. So when Luke closed his eyes for the final time all he felt was regret.

Complete heart wrenching regret


End file.
